National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday that the Biden administration is preparing another round of sanctions against Russia over the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Why it matters: The news of a potential new sanctions package comes days after President Biden warned Vladimir Putin during their summit in Geneva that if Navalny died in prison the consequences for Russia would be "devastating."
The White House is considering ending — as early as July 31 — the use of a Trump-era public health order that's let U.S. border officials quickly turn back migrant families to Mexico, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The policy known as Title 42 has resulted in tens of thousands of migrant family members, including asylum seekers, being sent away — as well as thousands of kids then separating from their families to cross into the United States alone.
Former Rep. Katie Hill (D-Calif.) tells “Axios on HBO” she thinks her sex scandal was “politically survivable” and she's contemplating another run for Congress.
Why it matters: Hill cites a duality in outcomes for women and men. "Having seen other people who've had scandals since I left, [Andrew] Cuomo and, you know, of course, Matt Gaetz ... you see that and, of course, they don't resign," Hill said.
During a wide-ranging interview for "Axios on HBO," I asked Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge why Black homeownership rates have gone down, while rates for Asians and Hispanics have gone up.
The big picture: "Part of our problem is that we have never totally enforced the Fair Housing Act," Fudge told me during a visit to her native Cleveland.
A new poll published over the weekend indicates that 64% of those surveyed believe it's "time for someone else" to occupy Sen. Chuck Grassley's (R-Iowa) Senate seat, the Des Moines Register reports.
Why it matters: Grassley hasn't said yet whether he plans to seek re-election in 2022, but with an evenly divided Senate, "Iowa's race is one of the most closely watched" in the country, according to Politico.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R.-Fla.) wrote to President Biden on Sunday asking the commander in chief to grant a waiver that would allow Naval Academy graduate Cameron Kinley to play in the NFL, the Hill reports.
The big picture: Rubio's letter comes after the Navy denied Kinley's request to delay his service in order to potentially play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
For the first time since the pandemic hit and barred in-person gatherings, people across the United States are turning out to celebrate Pride Month.
Why it matters: The annual Pride Month honors the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, which is credited with galvanizing the modern gay rights movement. It's a time of celebration of the LGBTQ community, and a recognition that the fight for equality continues.
State of play: The warning comes as the Biden administration has sought to finalize a deal to return to the agreement in the weeks remaining before a new Iranian president is inaugurated. The sixth round of indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran ended on Sunday with progress but without a deal.
House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) told CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday that the United States should "go more on offense" to prevent cyberattacks.
Why it matters: Cyber security is in the spotlight after the recent ransomware attack on America's Colonial Pipeline by Russia-based cybercrime group Darkside.
Herschel Walker, 59— the Heisman Trophy winner and Georgia college football legend — tweeted a cryptic video last week suggesting he might enter the Republican primary for a chance to run next year against Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), the New York Times reports.
The big picture: Former President Trump said in a March 10 statement: "Wouldn’t it be fantastic if the legendary Herschel Walker ran for the United States Senate in Georgia? ... Run Herschel, run!"
After becoming a top punching bag for the right, Dr. Anthony Fauci is defending himself with a sharp new edge, arguing that an attack on him is an attack on science.
What he's saying: In comments to Kara Swisher on her New York Times "Sway" podcast, shared first with Axios, Fauci says: "It is essential as a scientist that you evolve your opinion and your recommendations based on the data as it evolves. ... And that's the reason why I say people who then criticize me about that are actually criticizing science."
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) told Sunday's "Meet the Press" that the content of the bipartisan infrastructure deal is "mostly good" but expressed concern about how the deal would be funded.
Why it matters: Sanders threw cold water on some of the funding avenues proposed by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) last week, which included a tax on electric vehicles and repurposing leftover COVID-19 funding.
School superintendents nationwide are leaving their posts in far greater numbers than in past years — the trend likely a result of the difficulties brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, the Washington Post reports.
The big picture: The growing departures are being seen in both large cities and midsize and smaller districts in suburban and rural areas, according to the School Superintendents Association.
As the U.S. troop withdrawal accelerates, President Biden will welcome Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation, at the White House on Friday.
Our thought bubble: Axios politics editor Glen Johnson, who traveled to Afghanistan while working for Secretary of State John Kerry, said inviting both Ghani and Abdullah to Washington shows the administration’s respect for the delicate balance of power in the country.
The sixth round of indirect nuclear talks between the United States and Iran ended on Sunday with progress but without a deal, according to the European Union's envoy to the negotiations.
The big picture: The Biden administration has said it would like to finalize an agreement with Iran to return to the 2015 nuclear deal before the inauguration in August of hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, who won the presidency over the weekend.
Elementary school teachers, administrators and college professors are facing fines, physical threats, and fear of firing because of an organized push from the right to remove classroom discussions of systemic racism.
Why it matters: Moves to ban critical race theory are raising free speech concerns amid an absence of consistent parameters about what teachings are in or out of bounds.
New York City mayoral candidates Andrew Yang and Kathryn Garcia campaigned together on Saturday, three days out from the Democratic primary.
Why it matters: The NYC election is for the first time taking place under a ranked choice voting system, leading candidates to push for rivals' supporters to rank them second or third.
The 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) announced plans Saturday to launch a single currency in 2027, called the "eco," per Reuters.
The big picture: The pandemic forced the bloc to "suspend the implementation of the convergence pact in 2020-2021," ECOWAS president Jean-Claude Kassi Brou said after a summit of the leaders in Ghana. It's hoped having a common currency will "boost cross-border trade and economic development," DW notes.
Demonstrators took to the streets in at least 22 of Brazil’s 26 states to protest President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the pandemic — as deaths from COVID-19 in the country surged past 500,000 Saturday, per AP.
The big picture: Brazil has the world's second-highest coronavirus death toll and third-highest number of reported cases. Only 12% of the country's population has been vaccinated against the virus, AP notes.
